<라라랜드>: 순수예술과 대중문화의 경계

This study examines Damien Chazelle s film LaLa Land by using the ideas of Theodor W. Adorno and Walter Benjamin. Adorno argues that contemporary culture and art are dominated by omnipotence of capital and works of art are reduced to the products of culture industry. As a result, the public loses their ability to think and reason because of the strategy of industrial capitalism focusing on making profits. According to Adorno, popular culture is a means of deceiving the public to maintain ruling class and their ideology. Benjamin, however, asserts that mechanical reproduction of work of art not only leads to decay of aura but brings the new way of perception in art. Therefore the public can enjoy works of art more easily and they can be creative selves. LaLa Land interrogates the value of pure art and popular culture. The purpose of this study is to suggest that LaLa Land shows how art and culture industry influences on our lives as Adorno and Benjamin argue. Most of all, LaLa Land shows that although it is not perfect, life itself is an art work.